


Semper Occultus (Always Secret)

by rumpledspinster



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), ouat
Genre: Espionage, F/M, Torture, WW2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-23
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-06-03 23:13:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6631063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rumpledspinster/pseuds/rumpledspinster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dr. Adam Gold finds himself in a dangerous game of cat and mouse when he comes to the aide of the town's beautiful librarian Belle and learns that she and his best friend Jefferson are not what they seem. A fic set in 1941 and featuring espionage, intrigue, and danger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Semper Occultus (Always Secret)

The taxi driver covertly listened to the couple’s conversation as he read the newspaper he had picked up this morning, “Storybrooke News” dated Friday, October 10, 1941  
“Have a safe trip love.” Jefferson whispered as he handed Belle her train ticket and shut the taxi door. He then smiled at her through the window, “Try to have some fun while you are out there.”

Belle nodded a sly smile on her lips and turned to the cab driver, “The train station please.”

The taxi driver spared her a glance in the rearview mirror, “Sure thing miss. Where you off to?”

Belle kept her eyes focused on the scenery passing by outside her window, “To visit relatives.” 

The taxi driver kept looking into the rearview mirror at her and it was beginning to make her nervous. “Oh, so you going overseas then?”

Belle looked at the reflected face of the taxi driver, committing it to memory as she asked, “Is my accent so obviously foreign?”

The taxi driver looked away from the rearview mirror and at the street as he added, “It ain’t thick, just foreign, ya’ know?”

Belle smirked then a look of concern crossed her face, “This isn’t the way to the train station.”

The taxi driver muttered, “Umm, it’s easier to approach the station from this direction.”

Belle made to move toward the passenger door and noticed that there was no way for her to unlock it from the inside. She was quickly evaluating her options for escape when she noticed that the phony taxi driver was about to blow through the infamous intersection of Third St. and Forest Ave. Infamous because stop signs had yet to be installed on the supposedly four-way stop leading to frequent accidents. Belle barely had time to brace for impact as a large delivery truck slammed into the side of the taxi. 

Broken glass, crunching metal, squealing tires. Belle was momentarily dazed as she vaguely heard people screaming and running out of nearby buildings to come to the aid of those involved in the accident. She was pulled out of the car and laid out on the street as she heard the distant siren of an ambulance. She noticed the taxi driver standing not too far off holding his very broken arm and arguing with the men trying to help him that he needed to know about the condition of his passenger. 

The ambulance had then arrived and paramedics were loading Belle on to a gurney, so far she had said nothing, only observed and listened. The people around her threw around words like shock and catatonic, but she could barely hear them over the whir of her own thoughts. A paramedic placed a warm gentle hand on her forehead, “I’m Dr. Gold, can you tell me your name?” 

Belle saw the taxi driver trying his best to listen in. A scared look crossed her face as she muttered, “I…I don’t know.”

Dr. Gold tried to calm her with reassuring touches as he asked, “What do you remember?”

Belle began to take shallow breaths and appeared to be on the verge of hyperventilating as she answered, “I remember the screeching of the tires and broken glass, but I…I don’t remember anything else.”

She was loaded into the ambulance and taken to Storybrooke Hospital along with the phony taxi driver. 

The blonde woman in admitting smacked her gum annoyingly as she smirked at the sight of Belle being wheeled in by Dr. Gold. “They got you on ambulance duty again, huh?”

Gold sneered at the woman, “I would think it would be pretty obvious. That damn intersection needs stop signs and I bet the cost of Madam Mayor’s new driveway and patio would have covered it.” He sighed, “I’m checking my patient in to a private room. I’ll fill out the admitting information later.”

The nurse opened her mouth in protest, but Gold shushed her with a look as he added, “Tell Whale to get off of his ass and cover the rest of my shift. This patient is more important.”

The nurse raised an eyebrow as she asked, “What makes that girl so important?”

Gold practically growled as he replied, “She is showing signs of global amnesia and I am the only Cognitive Psychologist in this damn town!” With that said he wheeled Belle off to a private room away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the hospital. 

Belle had assured him that she wasn’t injured aside from her memory loss and once he was sure that was the case he helped her up and called for a nurse to come in and help her change into a gown and get settled into bed. 

Gold waited outside as the nurse came out with Belle’s clothing in a bag to be taken and washed. Gold entered the room to see a very nervous Belle standing by the window and looking down toward the street. 

“You shouldn’t be up and about in your condition!” He rushed to her side and placed a protective arm around her waist. Belle couldn’t help but stare into his warm chocolate eyes with what she could only assume was a lovesick puppy look on her face. 

He led her back to the bed and tucked her in. Belle smiled, “I told you that I’m not injured.”

He pulled up a seat next to her bed and sighed as he replied, “That isn’t the point, global amnesia or fugue state as it is sometimes called often leads to wandering and confusion. You could accidently wander off and hurt yourself.”

Belle smiled up at him, “You aren’t the man people say you are.”

Gold smirked, “What do they say? That I’m a horrible monster with no bedside manner?”

Belle chuckled, “Pretty much. I always suspected it wasn’t true though. In fact, I’ve had quite the crush on you for some time now. I had just about gotten up the courage to introduce myself and ask you to dinner when this fiasco of a day got in the way.”

Gold’s eyes went wide with realization, “Wait, are you remembering? Usually the effects of global amnesia last at least a few hours.”

Belle looked frightened as she asked in a whispered voice,” What I’m about to tell you needs to remain private, no one can overhear us right?”

Gold placed a gentle hand on Belle’s, “It’s normal for someone in your state to feel extreme stress and anxiety…”

Belle cut him off, “No one can overhear us?”

Gold sighed, “We are alone in here, no one can overhear us and anything you tell me will be kept confidential.”

Belle released a breath she had been holding, “First of all, I don’t have amnesia.”

Gold looked confused and a little disappointed, “Why would you pretend that you do?”

Belle bit her lip before responding, “This is all going to sound crazy, but I am begging you to please believe me because I am in so much danger.” Belle sat up and leaned in toward Gold, “My name is Belle French and I’m an operative with British Intelligence.”

Gold cut in, “But we’re in Maine.”

Belle looked annoyed as she continued, “I know we are in Maine! I’m one of their American operatives.”

Gold interrupted yet again, “But you sound Australian.”

Belle snarked, “And you sound Scottish but you don’t see me demanding proof of your American citizenship.”

Gold nodded, “Fair enough.”

Belle shook her head and continued her story, “I was approached to join British Intelligence because I seemed like such an unlikely candidate on the surface. I have no living family. I had decided to make a new start for myself here in the U.S. when I was approached by British Intelligence. They got me citizenship, moved me here to Storybrooke, they even ensured that I got to be a librarian. In return I do decrypting work and serve as a messenger, a job that I was in the middle of doing when I was kidnapped by that phony taxi driver.”

Gold rubbed his head, “So you are a librarian/spy?”

Belle rolled her eyes, “Asks the landlord/pawn shop owner/cognitive psychologist.”

Gold shrugged, “It’s a small town, people have to wear more than one hat.”

Gold shook his head, “So let me get this straight, you are a spy and you were on your way to deliver a message when your taxi driver tried to kidnap you?”

Belle nodded, “Yes. If you need proof my name is written on the laundry slip in my clothing, or you can call this number.” She grabbed a pen and notepad from the bedside table and scribbled down a number. “This is the number of my handler, he will vouch for me.”

Gold took the paper and stared down at it. His mind was whirring with thoughts. Her story was unbelievable, but yet it felt true when he heard it from her. Perhaps she is confabulating memories that she truly believes, but are completely false. “I’ll look into what you’ve said.”

Belle grabbed his shirt sleeve, “In the meantime, please don’t share any information with anyone, that phony kidnapper is sure to have told his superiors about his foul up by now.”

Gold nodded and left the room. He went down to laundry to look through her clothes and found that they were gone. Nurse Childs who had tagged the bag and placed it in the room couldn’t explain the disappearance other than to say that they must have been stolen. 

Gold went to his office and called the number that Belle had given him. The voice on the other end belonged to a man named Jefferson Hatter who owned a millinery business in town. Now Gold’s head was really swimming, he and Jefferson had been friends for years. Jefferson tried his best to calm Gold down and convince him of the truth of the story despite the far-fetched sounding nature of it. “Part of Belle’s cover is that she does secretarial work for my millinery business and that sometimes I send her out to buy fabrics and supplies or deliver merchandise. I’m the same Jefferson you’ve always known, it’s just that I have a life-threateningly dangerous side job.”

Gold felt nauseous as he tried to make sense of it all. Perhaps they both are suffering from some cognitive malady. Maybe Jefferson is the one who came up with the whole cockamamie thing and tricked Belle into confabulating the whole whack-a-doodle story into false memories. That made more sense to him at this point then his best friend and the beautiful small librarian being international spies.   
Gold returned to Belle’s room. Belle looked up at him as he retook his seat at her bedside, “Okay, say I believe you, what now?”

Belle bit her lip in hesitation. She took a breath and shakily replied, “Jefferson and I talked it over, and even though his plan terrifies me I have to admit that he is right.”

Gold didn’t like the sound of that. “What plan?”

Belle sighed, “I’m going to continue to pretend that I have amnesia, hopefully with your help. Soon enough people will be sent to capture me, they still want the information that I have safe up here.” She tapped her head. “And if I’m very lucky, I’ll uncover who the German spies are that are hiding out in the Maine and New York area.”

Gold looked terrified as he shook his head, “No! That sounds ridiculously dangerous!”

Belle looked grave as she replied, “They are going to come after me anyway Adam.”

Gold looked stunned, “No one uses my first name. I haven’t heard it said aloud in years. How did you figure it out?”

Belle smiled sadly, “I’m a spy. I spied on you.”

Gold didn’t know what to think of that. “How much do you know about me?”

Belle revealed that she basically knew his entire life story, while Gold corrected her every now and again and filled in the details. He had been so closed off and careful about letting anyone get close to him for so long that it felt strange to be so open now with Belle, but it also felt incredibly freeing. He suddenly felt a lot less alone in the world. 

Now it was Belle’s turn. Gold asked her all about her life and childhood, her dreams and fears. When their conversation was said and done, it was as if they had known each other all their lives. 

Belle looked at the clock on the wall. “It’s nearly eleven p.m.”

Gold shrugged, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying with you until this whole mess is over with.” Gold set up a cot under the window and pulled a worn hospital blanket over himself, “By the way, if you had asked me to dinner I would have said yes after I had overcome the shock of being asked sincerely by someone as wonderful as you.”

Belle smiled from ear to ear, “I’m going to hold you to that dinner.”

****

“Dr. Gold, there is a man here asking about your amnesia patient. He claims to be her father.” Nurse Childs handed Gold a comb and mirror then left the room. 

Gold looked over at Belle nervously before combing his hair in an effort not to look too disheveled. 

Belle took a deep breath, “This is it Adam. Don’t give them any information, and don’t trust anything they tell you.”  
Gold nodded uneasily and then went out to meet Belle’s “father”. A tall and somewhat portly man wearing a nice suit and a worried face approached Gold with his hand outstretched. Gold paused a moment before shaking it. 

The man began, “My name is George Bouche. The girl you are treating is my daughter Belle Bouche, she was on her way to visit her dear aunt when this terrible accident happened. I have been so worried about her! When can I take her home?”

Gold looked the man over warily, “Your daughter is still suffering from amnesia, and unfortunately she doesn’t remember anything. I don’t feel comfortable releasing her in such a state as she may become frightened and anxious.”

Mr. Bouche looked disappointed. He shrugged, “Of course doctor, we wouldn’t want that.” He dug into his pocket and produced a photograph of what appeared to be him and Belle standing in front of a large home in a wooded area. “Here is the most recent picture I had of her and I together, perhaps if I could speak with her and show her this picture it might help.”

Gold was shocked at the sight of the picture, but he calmly nodded, “Right this way.” And led Mr. Bouche to Belle’s room. 

Mr. Bouche reached out to hug Belle, but stopped when he saw her warily pull away. “Please remember me darling. It’s father,” he held the picture out to her, “look darling. I want to take you home. You remember home don’t you?”  
Belle shook her head, “I’m sorry sir, but I don’t know you and I don’t remember this place.”

Mr. Bouche shook his head sadly, “My dear I know that we had a falling out over you wanting to run off and be on your own and that is why you left home, but your home is with me.”

Belle shook her head, “I don’t remember any of that and I certainly don’t remember this house.”

Gold watched the whole exchange from the door way, but upon seeing Belle’s distress he stepped in. “I think you should go Mr. Bouche; you can visit again tomorrow.”

Mr. Bouche nodded and left. Once they were alone again Belle looked at the photo, “The fact that they would go to such lengths shows just how badly they want the information.”

Gold sheepishly took a seat at her bedside. Belle looked up at him and noticed something about his look, she asked warily, “You don’t believe his lies do you? I promise you Adam that everything I have told you is the truth.” He nodded, but she worried that deep down he still doubted. 

The next day Mr. Bouche returned to the hospital with a Dr. Ingersoll. Gold was dumbstruck at seeing Dr. Ingersoll, having studied under him at university. Gold couldn’t come up with an excuse not to release Belle to her so called father now that he had Dr. Ingersoll agreeing to stay in the home and administer private care to Belle. 

Gold told them to wait in the lobby as he spoke to Belle and settled the paperwork for her to be discharged. Belle was nervous. “What is so special about this Dr. Ingersoll?”

Gold sighed, “He is one of the top physicians in the field of Cognitive Psychology. I thought he was pretty much retired and only teaching now, but I guess if the price is right.”

Belle shrugged, “Or perhaps he is a German spy as well.” 

Gold looked shocked, “Do you really think so?”

Belle sighed, “Right now I don’t trust anyone other than you and Jefferson.” Belle thought for a moment, “That’s it! Tell them that I will go with them but only on the condition that you accompany me. Tell them that you are the only one that I know and trust right now and that being separated from you could be a major setback for me.” 

Gold nodded and relayed the message to Dr. Ingersoll as professionally as he could, and in the end Dr. Ingersoll nodded and smiled, “Of course, she has a bit of the nightingale effect following her trauma and has fixated on you. I don’t see why it can’t be arranged for you to come along and assist me with her case. Perhaps your presence will prove useful.”

Mr. Bouche agreed and Belle and Gold soon found themselves approaching a secluded home deep in the forests surrounding Storybrooke. 

Belle and Gold were shown around the home somewhat and taken to a room that was supposedly Belle’s. The room was expertly staged with a worn quilt comforter and pillows, a stocked closet of clothes in Belle’s size, and there were even ribbons on display that Belle had apparently won for horsemanship. Gold was given a room down the hall from Belle, but was allowed to visit with her in her bedroom for a bit before Dr. Ingersoll wanted to examine Belle privately. 

Belle was scared, Gold could see it coming off of her in waves. He tried to comfort her with a hand on her shoulder, “Dr. Ingersoll is well respected, I can’t imagine that he would be a part of anything…”

Belle cut him off and whispered, “They may be listening.” Gold suddenly looked very wary, “What are we going to do now?”

Belle leaned in close, “We are already in too deep. Get out of here Adam, find any excuse. Then tell Jefferson about the house and every one we’ve come in contact with thus far. If they aren’t all spies, then they probably know who are.”

Gold shook his head, “I’m not leaving you here if the danger is as great as you say.”

Belle looked on the verge of tears, “It is as I say, and you must. While this place may seem nice enough it is still no more than a painted cage.”

Just then Dr. Ingersoll knocked at the door and opened it, “Hello Belle, I would like to ask you some questions and examine you in private, if you don’t mind?”

Belle gave Gold’s hand a squeeze and answered, “Of course doctor. I’ll see you later Dr. Gold.” Belle gave him a knowing look and he nodded before leaving the room. He made his way down the stairs as quickly and quietly as he could, but was stopped just as he reached the front door by the butler. 

The butler was an imposing figure of a man who spoke in a commanding voice, “I’m afraid I can’t let you leave the premises Dr. Gold.” Gold was about to argue, but then he saw the pistol butt sticking out of the man’s pocket. The man must have caught the glance because in an instant he had hit Gold in the head with it, just grazing his skull but enough to knock him out. 

Gold woke up with a horrid headache. His surroundings are dimly lit. He struggles to get his bearings as he realizes that he is in hospital clothes. It looks as though he has been on an I.V. drip. He is in a secure room in the psych ward of the hospital. How did I get here? Belle! I have to get to her!

Gold gets to the window in the door and sees that there is an orderly doing the rounds. He flags him down and sees that it is one that he has worked with before. Gold is able to use that working relationship to his advantage and convinces him that if he assists him in escape he will be rewarded handsomely. The orderly complies and helps to smuggle Gold out. He tells Gold that he was brought in on Sunday afternoon under extreme secrecy and given sedatives and that he has been “out of it” for the past few days. Days! Gold shook the young man and demanded to know the current time and date. Six p.m. on Thursday, October 16th.  
Belle! Oh god what have they done to her! 

Gold gets home and calls Jefferson, giving him all the information he knows. Jefferson says that he will relay the message to his superiors and warn them that the information that Belle was carrying may be compromised. Gold is confused, “What about Belle?”

Jefferson’s end of the line is silent for a moment, “Gold if she is compromised chances are she is already dead. When we are out in the field we are on our own. Belle knew that.”

Gold was shaking as he replied, “You’re talking about her as if she is dead and gone! She is out there and I’m going to get her back!” Gold hung up and quickly changed clothes. He called up his enforcer of sorts, Mr. Dove and had him drive him up to just outside of the house Belle had been taken to and stay back as a lookout and back up. 

Gold made his way up to the house carefully, sneaking around to the back of the house he could hear a buzzing sound of electricity. He approached a low window at the top of an underground cellar and carefully peered in. Belle! She was stripped nude, blindfolded and tied spread eagle to an exposed bed frame. Dr. Ingersoll leered over her with a long electrical prod. Belle was crying and shaking as Dr. Ingersoll used the prod to shock her head, nipples, and genitals at which point Belle voided her very full bladder.

Gold was horrified and utterly terrified. How could he rescue her? But just then he felt a rubber club hit him across the back knocking him to the ground. He was grabbed roughly by two brutish men and brought into the room, where Belle was, at gun point. Only now she was lying in a bathtub of ice water, her feet tied to a bar that was pulled by Dr. Ingersoll causing Belle to be pulled under water. She would splash and splutter before being hoisted back up. Dr. Ingersoll bent down, his face mere inches from Belle’s, “Tell me the location of the convoy.” Belle simply stared back at him defiantly. Dr. Ingersoll sighed, “A different approach then.” Belle was hoisted from the bathtub and untied. When her eyes settled on Gold they grew wide with a mixture of emotions. On unsteady feet she was shoved in his direction, Gold lurching forward to catch her. Dr. Ingersoll threw Belle’s clothing in their direction. Dr. Ingersoll smiled cruelly, “Be a gentleman Dr. Gold and help the girl dress.” 

Gold wanted to hit the man until he was no more than a bloody stain on the concrete floor, but Belle was currently shaking in his arms. He helped her to dress and to his anger and her dismay they were instantly hoisted up and taken at gun point to another room in the first story of the house. The room was dark with a single light hanging from the middle of the ceiling, a wood table and two chairs by a wall. There was another door at the other end and a window leading to the adjoining room with a thick red curtain pulled across it concealing the other room from view. 

Gold was pushed against the wall at gunpoint while Belle was held by two men a few feet away. Dr. Ingersoll produced a syringe and vial and administered a drug to Belle. Belle was again shoved at Gold and the men left them in the now locked room, the men having gone into the adjoining room. Gold held Belle close, “Oh god Belle! What have they done to you? What have they given you?”

Belle shook her head, “I don’t know. They give me drugs every now and again and then torture me, but I haven’t talked.” Belle gagged and Gold was instantly concerned.

“What Belle?”

Belle looked at him confused, “It’s as if I just ate a spoonful of bitter garlic.”

Gold’s mind raced, “Thiopental! They’ve given you truth serum.”

Belle looked worried, “What does it do?”

Gold was breathing shallowly and sweating, “It’s an anesthetic drug. You are going to lose consciousness soon sweetheart and when you come to you aren’t going to be able to move around well. It will be, a bit like being very drunk.”

Belle smiled up at him, “You called me sweetheart.” She then collapsed like a sack of potatoes in his grasp. 

Gold guided her to the floor and sat her up in his lap careful to keep her airway clear. 

Gold was shaking as he held her to him. I shouldn’t have let her do this. I should have made her and Jefferson see reason. He pressed a kiss to her head, her wet hair cold against his lips. “I’ll get us out of this sweetheart, I promise.” He silently prayed that his words would turn out to be true. 

After about five minutes Belle regained consciousness. Gold brushed the hair from her face and cupped her cheek. “Belle, can you hear me?”

Belle stared up at him ponderously. She felt as if no time had passed at all, yet she knew that she must have lost time. She felt nauseous, anxious, and frantic. “Adam! I feel as if my heart is going to burst it is beating so hard! Yet I feel numb all over, like I can’t control my body.”

Gold nodded, “That’s the drug. Sweetheart I need you to listen to me, they are going to come back for you to torture or interrogate you again. I’m going to try my best to get us out of here, but I need you to stay strong. I love you sweetheart, so much.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead just as the door to the adjoining room opened and the men returned. Gold was held at gunpoint as Belle was ripped from his embrace by two of the men and half led half dragged into the other room. The man who held Gold at gunpoint stayed behind and motioned with the gun for Gold to take a seat at the table. The man then took the opposite seat, keeping his gun trained on Gold.

In the other room Belle was sat in a chair. The two men who had brought her into the room sat down in front of shortwave radio equipment and she could hear them speaking quietly in German. Dr. Ingersoll held Belle’s chin roughly in his bony hand and turned her face to look up at him. “Now then Belle, you have been annoyingly stubborn this past week. I admit to be a bit impressed with you, but now the time has come for you to finally reveal your secrets. Tell me the shipping information that you know. Where is the convoy?”

Belle was having trouble focusing on his face as she replied, “I won’t tell you.”

Dr. Ingersoll nodded, “I suppose you think the lives of those men are more important than your own, but what about your dear Dr. Gold? It is obvious that he loves you deeply; do you love him as well?”

Belle began to shake. In a terrified voice she pleaded, “Please don’t. He knows nothing.”

Dr. Ingersoll sighed in mock remorse, “That may very well be the case, but you my dear do know. Anything I do to your beloved will be on your head, his blood on your hands. If you tell me what I want to know then this all ends here.” 

Belle shook her head, knowing better. “Once I tell you what you want to know you will kill us both.”

Dr. Ingersoll smiled slightly, “That is true, but it needn’t be painful. One quick jab and it’s over. But I promise you that if you don’t give me the information I will torture your beloved and make you watch. You may think that what you have experienced has been torture, but I have been very tame with you, so careful not to mar your beautiful body.” Belle shivered as she felt his breath on the back of her neck. He was standing behind her now with his hands on her shoulders. “But I am capable of so much more. Your beloved will beg for death long before I give it to him. I will torture him mercilessly and then you will clean and bandage him and offer him comfort only for me to take him from you and tear him apart once again.”

Belle was sobbing now, her voice cracking as she begged, “No more! Please! He doesn’t know anything!”

Dr. Ingersoll whispered in her ear, “I wonder if he will forgive you for allowing me to torture him so. Perhaps I will take a sledge hammer to his legs and shatter the bones. Do you think he will forgive you for taking away his legs?” 

Belle was sobbing so hard that she was beginning to hyperventilate. Not Adam! Please God don’t let them hurt him!

Dr. Ingersoll continued, “Perhaps I will cut his fingers off one by one.”

Belle could take no more, “No! I’ll tell you! Don’t hurt him! Please, please….”

Dr. Ingersoll smiled, “The location?”

Belle gave him coordinates which the men began to radio to a U-boat wolf pack that was waiting to intercept and destroy the convoy ships.

POP! A gunshot from the other room stopped them all in their tracks. For a moment they all paused, waiting for what was to come. Then Dr. Ingersoll pulled back the heavy red curtain and peered through the window, he turned back toward Belle with a sinister smile on his face. He hoisted Belle up and half led half dragged her to the window. The sight before her was like a dull knife to the kidney. Adam…her beloved Adam lay dead on the concrete floor, his glassy eyes staring off at nothing. Belle collapsed to the ground as an inhuman wail burst from her lips. 

Dr. Ingersoll looked down at her with mock pity, “I think perhaps I will lock the two of you up in the cellar. That way you will get the benefit of watching his body begin to decay as your own begins to shut down from dehydration.”

Belle looked up at him with eyes burning with rage and a sneer on her face. “The information I gave you was fake! I’ll never tell you the real information! You’ve failed.”

Fury colored Dr. Ingersoll’s face as he grabbed a rubber club from a nearby table and made to bring it down hard on Belle’s shoulder. 

Just then the door burst open and a gunshot sliced through the air. Belle looked on in confusion as Dr. Ingersoll crumpled to the ground, a crimson pool blooming from beneath him. Two more shots and the two men working the shortwave were struck down. 

Belle was confused, her head was pounding with a horrid headache and she was so drowsy. Was she dreaming? Belle found that she wasn’t sure what was real. Just then a face swam into view. Adam! His hands were cupping her face and he was telling her that he was there and that he would protect her. Perhaps he had come back to her as an avenging angel, she hoped that was the case and that he would stay with her. He helped her to her feet and a thought came swimming to the forefront of her mind, “The radio! I need to contact headquarters and tell them!” 

Adam helped her to the equipment and with some difficulty she radioed headquarters and told them the phony coordinates that she had given the spies and her current location. Adam then helped her to her feet once more. Belle looked up into his face with loving eyes, she wanted to stay with him forever but she was so sleepy…

**** While Belle was being psychologically tortured in the other room, Gold watched his jailer closely for any opening to escape, and at last one presented itself. The jailer must have thought Gold to be too scrawny and scared to be much of a flight risk because the buffoon set his gun down on the table so that he could roll and light a cigarette. Seeing his opportunity, Gold quickly shoved the table into the gut of his captor, grabbed the gun and shot him. Gold knew that the men in the other room would come to investigate so he quickly placed the gun in the dead man’s hand, sat him up, pulled his coat so that it would hide the wound, then sprawled out on the ground in an award worthy portrayal of a dead body. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see the sinister Dr. Ingersoll in the window and then his beloved Belle. He heard her soul crushing wail and was nearly undone. Luckily Dr. Ingersoll had retreated and was no longer looking through the window. Gold grabbed the gun and made his way to the door. He quickly threw it open and shot Dr. Ingersoll. He then quickly and precisely shot down the two other men in the room. He rushed into the room then and finally saw Belle slumped against the wall and sprawled on the floor. His precious Belle was still alive. He would protect her. He would make sure that she made it out of this hell on earth no matter what. He helped her to her feet and to the radio at her behest. He marveled at her as she called her and Jefferson’s superiors and relayed the most urgent information that she could. He then helped her to her feet once more, but to his dismay she collapsed in his arms having succumbed to unconsciousness. 

*** Belle awoke in a white room with the lights dimmed. She took in her surroundings and saw that she was once again in her room at the hospital. She felt a warm, familiar hand around her wrist. “Adam?”

Adam jerked awake from his uncomfortable not quite asleep dozing from his bedside chair. “Belle! You’re finally awake!” He pulled a watch from his pocket and took her pulse, some of the worry beginning to leave his face. 

Belle looked confused, her brow knitting together, “I’m awake? Then how are you here?”

Gold looked at her with his own confused expression for a moment before understanding dawned on him. “I was only pretending to be dead so as to get the drop on our captors.”

Belle hesitantly reached out a hand and rested it on his chest, “You’re real…You’re alive…”

Gold smiled down at her, “Yes sweetheart.”

Belle pulled at his shirt trying to pull herself up; Gold wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. 

Gold kissed her head, “Oh sweetheart! I was so worried about you! You’ve been unconscious for over twenty-four hours. It’s Saturday, October 18th. I’ve stayed by your side tracking your pulse and watching your breathing, I even demanded that they store a ventilator in here just in case.”

Belle snuggled against him, “I love it when you call me sweetheart Adam.” She turned her head to look him in the eye, “Adam, please marry me.”

Gold kissed her forehead passionately, “Shouldn’t I be the one asking you?”

Belle smiled, “Well go on then.”

Gold sighed happily, “Will you marry me Belle?”

Belle closed her eyes and sighed blissfully, “Yes, as soon as we can. I don’t want to waste any time. After all, who knows how much we have left.”

Gold pressed fervent kisses to her crown, “years and years my love.” 

By noon on Monday they were married and leaving city hall. Gold helped Belle into the passenger side of his car and then got into the driver’s seat. “I’m going to take you out on the town. Movie and a dinner, how does that sound?”

Belle smiled, “It depends on the movie.”

Gold shrugged, “A new Bogart film came out about a week ago, The Maltese Falcon. It’s a detective flick full of intrigue and action.”

Belle smirked, “I’ve had enough intrigue and action to last a lifetime. Perhaps we could just have a nice dinner and then relax together at home.”  
Home. Gold smiled at the thought of bringing Belle to his house as his wife and carrying her over the threshold. “I think that is a brilliant idea Mrs. Gold.”

Belle smiled from ear to ear, “I love being called Mrs. Gold almost as much as I love the way you call me sweetheart.”

They set off toward the restaurant in the next town when Gold saw that they were approaching the intersection of Third St. and Forest Ave. He came to a stop and took his time to look both ways only for the car to jerk forward violently as a car rear ended them, pushing their car all the way across the intersection. 

Gold furiously got out of the car and upon seeing that the other driver, a young lad that he recognized as one of the print devils for the local newspaper, was unhurt gave him an earful. The kid tried to explain that he didn’t know that there was supposed to be a stop only for Gold to butt in that the newspaper had printed a story about the need for stop signs at the supposed four way stop on a monthly basis. The kid then exclaimed that the collision had barely damaged Gold’s car whereas it had crumpled the front end of the kid's. This was true, Gold’s car being superior, but that wasn’t the point. The police then arrived and took a quick statement as the kid began to cry pathetically. Gold rolled his eyes and returned to his car. He got in and looked over at Belle to relay what had transpired when he saw her slumped over the dash.

“Belle!” He gently eased her back into her chair and felt some of the terror that gripped him ease as she whimpered and opened her eyes.

Belle pressed a hand to her forehead and murmured, “I think I hit my head.” She looked over at Gold and asked, “Who are you?”

Gold looked distraught as he began to mumble, “Belle, it’s Adam, your husband.”

Belle blinked ponderously at him, “My husband? Well then perhaps you should kiss me.”

Gold looked confused and then annoyed. Of all the tricks to pull on him. He leaned forward and kissed her. 

Belle sighed, “Oh Adam! Kiss me again it’s working.”

Gold smiled and kissed her passionately. That settled it, they were skipping dinner and he was taking his minx of a wife home.


End file.
